One Piece Creator Addresses the Manga’s Cast of Strong Women

One Piece is gearing up for a vast new adventure. It is hard to believe, but after a few decades in the game, One Piece is about to tackle the realm of live-action television. Netflix’s adaptation is on the horizon, and in a rare interview, series creator Eiichiro Oda spoke with The New York Times about how vital the manga’s heroines are to the overall story.

The update comes from Oda himself as he did a rare interview in America to promote the launch of Netflix’s One Piece. The creator spoke at length about the project and his determination to surmount Hollywood’s history of anime failures. When asked about the heroines of One Piece, Oda had only compliments to share as he discussed the ways in which Nami and Robin work.

“There are many strong women in the world of One Piece – women with intelligence like Robin, or with abilities like Nami. There are even attractive and strong women among the enemy pirates,” Oda shared.

“In the manga I read as a kid, there was always a point where the heroine existed just to be rescued. That didn’t sit well with me; I didn’t want to create a story about women being kidnapped and saved. I depict women who know how to fight for themselves and don’t need to be saved. If a moment comes where they’re overpowered, their shipmates will help them out, and vice versa.”

As you can see, Oda grew up on all sorts of manga, and their take on heroines never sat well with him. Women can be strong and beautiful, so that is what he aimed to create in One Piece. From Vivi to Carrot, One Piece is filled with go-getting heroines who have the power to back their gumption. They need no more rescuing than their male counterparts, and for characters like Robin, their gifts are truly one of a kind.

Be it beauty or brains, the heroines of One Piece have it all, and this variety was made with intent. Oda did not want the women of One Piece to be simple damsels. So when Netflix’s One Piece goes live on August 31st, you can expect great things from Nami and the like. 

What do you think about this take on One Piece’s heroines? Do you believe the manga does its heroines justice? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!